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Love Bus Stop
A collection of comics by Ritsu Natsumizu that takes you through the pure anguish that we sometimes run into. Businessman Tazuki has a deep secret. His secret is that twice a week, while on the bus to work, he has wildly dirty fantasies about another passenger - another businessman whose name he doesn't even know!
178 pages, Paperback
First published March 29, 2005
4 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Ritsu Natsumizu
29 books19 followersName (in native language) : 夏水りつ
Blood type : B
Likes : cats
Dislikes: crab legs
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 19, 2022
This was a surprisingly good find.
It's interesting how you can often tell from the style of art what timeframe manga is from - first published in Japan in 2005, this one's a little on the older side and has that sort of angular, long-limbed, square-jawed feeling of an earlier generation of BL. While "newer" material in this genre has started to get a little sweeter and more plot-driven, this collection's also heavily focused on the "forbidden" and "fantasy" aspects, with the author unapologetically listing in their end notes how they gather their ideas - from flipping through magazines, etc, and imagining sexy scenarios.
The first story in this collection, "Fantasy Bus Stop," is pretty much exactly that. Most people - most writers, anyway, I don't know how other people's brains work - have probably let their mind wander while they waited for a bus, watching the people around them and picturing them in different settings. The main character in this story idly engages in this kind of activity, and finds himself starting to fantasize very specifically about another guy who waits at the same bus stop two days a week.
It's a simple, effective idea, and I was glad to see two more installments in their storyline ("Love Bus Stop" and "Passion Bus Stop"), as the men started to actually talk to each other, getting to know each other and falling in love.
The other three stories are all standalones, but each was surprisingly satisfying. That's not always the case with these type of space constraints; you have to pack in just the right amount of detail and emotion to introduce your characters properly and get your readers invested in their happiness. Natsumizu is really good at this.
I did find "All My Flowers For You" a bit confusing at first; I had to go back and read more carefully to understand the timeline. The synopsis isn't entirely accurate - it lists this one as "the awkward boy who works at the corner boutique," but the actual story is about a middle school teacher whose students are doing a week of work study at various local businesses, including a flower shop. The flower shop owner is neither a "boy" nor "awkward"; he's mature, friendly, good at his job, openly gay (although not flamboyant), and actively interested in the handsome teacher.
Tohyama brushes off the initial confession, assuming that Izumi wasn't serious. Anyway, Tohyama has a girlfriend, as he'd explained after being asked out...true, they've been in a long-distance relationship for three years, and he doesn't seem all that passionate about it, but...why would he date some man he'd just met?
A year later, a new set of students are busy with this work study, and Izumi confesses again, insisting that he's serious. Tohyama brushes him off once more, but starts to actually think about it, and takes a closer look at why, after four years, his relationship with his girlfriend hasn't progressed to anything more serious.
It's a pretty quick love story, without too much of a sense of these guys actually getting to know each other, but it's more focused on the spark of attraction and the possibility, and it works well.
Similarly, "First Kiss" is about two men who meet at a work party, where one gets sloppily drunk and kisses the new guy "as a greeting." The new guy is, naturally, pretty surprised, but kisses him back, and then shoves him off and seems to be avoiding him after...until the next time they go out drinking and wind up taking things a few steps further.
There's a bit of a non-communication problem here, but it felt realistic, in that two guys could enter into more of a physical relationship without talking about What It Means and How They're Feeling. Once they actually do, things of course start to improve, and I found their dynamic interesting and believable.
"Blame It On Love" is built on a deeper history, with a guy's first love/school crush starting work at his company. They run into each other at an office mixer, start hanging out again, and reignite the feelings that had never quite gone away.
I liked how mature all these stories were, and the sense that most of the guys were personally comfortable with their sexuality, even if they weren't able to be open about it in public, at work, or even with their friends - with the exception of the flower shop owner, who owned his own business and didn't particularly care what people thought of him. They're all adults who know who they are and what they want, and while society may not be all that accepting, they can, and will, find kindred spirits and love.
All around pretty solid and satisfying storytelling. Definitely enjoyed.
It's interesting how you can often tell from the style of art what timeframe manga is from - first published in Japan in 2005, this one's a little on the older side and has that sort of angular, long-limbed, square-jawed feeling of an earlier generation of BL. While "newer" material in this genre has started to get a little sweeter and more plot-driven, this collection's also heavily focused on the "forbidden" and "fantasy" aspects, with the author unapologetically listing in their end notes how they gather their ideas - from flipping through magazines, etc, and imagining sexy scenarios.
The first story in this collection, "Fantasy Bus Stop," is pretty much exactly that. Most people - most writers, anyway, I don't know how other people's brains work - have probably let their mind wander while they waited for a bus, watching the people around them and picturing them in different settings. The main character in this story idly engages in this kind of activity, and finds himself starting to fantasize very specifically about another guy who waits at the same bus stop two days a week.
It's a simple, effective idea, and I was glad to see two more installments in their storyline ("Love Bus Stop" and "Passion Bus Stop"), as the men started to actually talk to each other, getting to know each other and falling in love.
The other three stories are all standalones, but each was surprisingly satisfying. That's not always the case with these type of space constraints; you have to pack in just the right amount of detail and emotion to introduce your characters properly and get your readers invested in their happiness. Natsumizu is really good at this.
I did find "All My Flowers For You" a bit confusing at first; I had to go back and read more carefully to understand the timeline. The synopsis isn't entirely accurate - it lists this one as "the awkward boy who works at the corner boutique," but the actual story is about a middle school teacher whose students are doing a week of work study at various local businesses, including a flower shop. The flower shop owner is neither a "boy" nor "awkward"; he's mature, friendly, good at his job, openly gay (although not flamboyant), and actively interested in the handsome teacher.
Tohyama brushes off the initial confession, assuming that Izumi wasn't serious. Anyway, Tohyama has a girlfriend, as he'd explained after being asked out...true, they've been in a long-distance relationship for three years, and he doesn't seem all that passionate about it, but...why would he date some man he'd just met?
A year later, a new set of students are busy with this work study, and Izumi confesses again, insisting that he's serious. Tohyama brushes him off once more, but starts to actually think about it, and takes a closer look at why, after four years, his relationship with his girlfriend hasn't progressed to anything more serious.
It's a pretty quick love story, without too much of a sense of these guys actually getting to know each other, but it's more focused on the spark of attraction and the possibility, and it works well.
Similarly, "First Kiss" is about two men who meet at a work party, where one gets sloppily drunk and kisses the new guy "as a greeting." The new guy is, naturally, pretty surprised, but kisses him back, and then shoves him off and seems to be avoiding him after...until the next time they go out drinking and wind up taking things a few steps further.
There's a bit of a non-communication problem here, but it felt realistic, in that two guys could enter into more of a physical relationship without talking about What It Means and How They're Feeling. Once they actually do, things of course start to improve, and I found their dynamic interesting and believable.
"Blame It On Love" is built on a deeper history, with a guy's first love/school crush starting work at his company. They run into each other at an office mixer, start hanging out again, and reignite the feelings that had never quite gone away.
I liked how mature all these stories were, and the sense that most of the guys were personally comfortable with their sexuality, even if they weren't able to be open about it in public, at work, or even with their friends - with the exception of the flower shop owner, who owned his own business and didn't particularly care what people thought of him. They're all adults who know who they are and what they want, and while society may not be all that accepting, they can, and will, find kindred spirits and love.
All around pretty solid and satisfying storytelling. Definitely enjoyed.
February 22, 2023
Sadly, the first story it was just too confusing. I love that the main character is having dreams and thoughts that are being seen. The problem is is that you can’t identify when he’s dreaming versus reality because the change does it have any outline to indicate that it is a dream until after the fact. The other stories are interesting, but just don’t hold my interest as much as I would like them to, and the characters are not as developed as I would like them to be, it feels like their Schories are stunted.
March 2, 2020
Colección de varias historias, con un patrón similar entre ellas.
El dibujo de la artista de verdad me gusta mucho.
Los protagonistas de la historia principal se me hicieron muy tiernos en sus forma de amarse el uno el otro. Las historias de compañeros de trabajo siempre se me hacen muy excitantes.
El dibujo de la artista de verdad me gusta mucho.
Los protagonistas de la historia principal se me hicieron muy tiernos en sus forma de amarse el uno el otro. Las historias de compañeros de trabajo siempre se me hacen muy excitantes.
November 2, 2021
Most of these were simple cute stand alone bl stories. The title manga was pretty good but my favorite was the flower shop story.
October 7, 2016
Review originally posted at mangaupdates.com on July, 2008.
I reread this manga several times as soon as I rec'd it. Surprisingly enough, all of the short stories gave me a 'completed' feeling. Satisfaction at it's best! Worth the money for this book.
The art is clean, the frames and words are placed with powerful punch! I can remember the stories even at this moment without relooking at my book, which I read a week ago. That says a lot to me, because many mangas I cannot remember blow-by-blow after I set them down for a week if I was singularly unimpressed.
Individual story reviews can be found here.
I reread this manga several times as soon as I rec'd it. Surprisingly enough, all of the short stories gave me a 'completed' feeling. Satisfaction at it's best! Worth the money for this book.
The art is clean, the frames and words are placed with powerful punch! I can remember the stories even at this moment without relooking at my book, which I read a week ago. That says a lot to me, because many mangas I cannot remember blow-by-blow after I set them down for a week if I was singularly unimpressed.
Individual story reviews can be found here.
February 10, 2016
Hmm I might be overly generous with my stars, but I'm fond of this collection so what the hey.
I've read the first half of this before, and I always thought the bus stop one was really cute and dorky and ridiculous.
The meeting your first love again as your coworker was also cute.
The teacher and the flower shop owner was cute too.
Etc etc
Basically the stars are for the cuteness
I've read the first half of this before, and I always thought the bus stop one was really cute and dorky and ridiculous.
The meeting your first love again as your coworker was also cute.
The teacher and the flower shop owner was cute too.
Etc etc
Basically the stars are for the cuteness
January 27, 2008
Three stars for being a simple, fun romp
April 22, 2012
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews